I did this hike with my good friend and hiking buddy Matt. Given the fact that most of the fatalities on Mt. Baldy occur on Devils Backbone when it's icy after a recent storm, we decided to forego the standard SPOP route thereby skipping Devils Backbone. We were considering the longest hardest route up Old Baldy Trail (Bear Cyn) from the village, however, given the possible ice conditions after this last storm, we decided to go up the bowl instead just to be safe. In hindsight, we would have been fine going any route including Devils' Backbone. It was 30 deg at the bottom when we parked at Manker Flats and got colder as we climbed. The bottom half of the trail was clear, with patches of ice in the shaded spots, but there were always options for secure footing. The top half was still covered in soft snow. It was an amazingly clear and beautiful day. While many folks we passed warned of windy conditions at the top (as is typical for Baldy), it turned out to be about the mildest wind conditions I've personally encountered on this peak with occasional gusts of cold, but frequent breaks where it was fairly tolerable but still cold. What stood out the most about this particular hike was the number of amazingly cool people we encountered on the trail. Literally, everyone we met was warm, friendly, sociable, and engaging. A few people had their dogs out with them it was heartwarming to see how much fun they were having in the snow. It was a bit slippery coming down, but nothing too intense compared to past experiences. Climbing even the easiest route this day seemed harder than in past hikes, probably due to an extra heavy pack and very cold temps. I'd like to give a shout out to Jennifer, Ben, Mari, Jonas, Maricel, and all the other very cool people we met along the way while doing this hike today… you all made this hike standout as special, and I look forward to the day we cross paths again.